The present invention relates to an ink-jet recording method (hereinafter simply referred to as a recording method).
In recent years, ink-jet recording techniques have made remarkable progress and have made it possible to obtain highly detailed images approaching conventional photography.
Consequently, ink-jet recording has been utilized in many fields.
As a result, in addition to obtaining highly detailed images, an increase in printing speed has been sought. Methods for increasing said printing speed include one in which the number of nozzles on the head is increased and the other in which the number of ink droplets per unit time, ejected from each head, is increased. However, the method, in which the number of nozzles is simply increased, is not preferred due to an increase in printer cost. In order to increase the printing speed without an increase in cost, it is required that more ink droplets per unit time are ejected.
As a result, 15 kHz or more is desired as the driving high frequency.
Along with the enhancement of high frequency driving and the scanning speed of the carriage accompanied with high speed recording, ink ejection tends to become unstable. When ink ejection becomes unstable, image quality is degraded due to a decrease in image density and formation of streak-like unevenness.
Considered as factors which make ejection unstable, are various types of reasons. First, insufficient refilling and dried nozzles are considered, and secondly the presence of bubbles in the head, non-uniformity of the ink, the degradation of adhesion section, and the like are also considered. However, it is difficult to be specific with some of the reasons.
As methods for improving the light fastness and bleeding of ink-jet images, ink comprised of pigments instead of ink comprised of dyes has received more attention. When a large amount of components such as pigments, which are insoluble in ink, are contained, the ejection of ink becomes unstable. It has been verified that such insoluble materials become an obstacle in ink injection and degrade the adhesion section.
Further, it is known that the adhesion section of the head is subjected to swelling due to water. In order to minimize said swelling, it has been investigated to utilize materials, which are barely subjected to swelling due to water, in said adhesive agents. On the other hand, in order to improve unstable ejection due to dried nozzles, it is effective to add water-soluble high-boiling point organic solvents into the ink. However, adhesive agents, which are barely subjected to swelling due to water, are more readily subjected to swelling due to water-soluble organic solvents. As a result, it has been found that such organic solvents tend to degrade the adhesion section of the head. Further, it has also been found that when the head is subjected to high frequency drive, a force applied to the head increases and specifically the adhesion section is degraded.
When such degradation of adhesive agents in the head occurs, ink leaks into the head. As a result, it becomes impossible to carry out printing, and the life of the head is shortened.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, an ink-jet recording method is provided, the method includes jetting a water-based ink from an ink chamber through a nozzle hole to an ink-jet recording media, wherein the ink chamber contacting with the water-based ink is constructed by jointing plural construction members with an epoxy adhesive, and wherein the water-based ink contains a coloring material, a first organic solvent, and a second organic solvent. A weight ratio of both the first organic solvent and the second organic solvent to the total weight of the water-based ink can be between about 10 and about 50%; a ratio of an inorganicity to an organicity can be between about 0.5 and about 2.4 for the first organic solvent and between about 2.5 and about 5.0 for the second organic solvent; and a weight ratio to a total weight of the water-based ink can be between about 0 and about 15% for the first organic solvent and between about 5 and about 50% for the second organic solvent.